This doesn't follow from what you said in the beginning of your reply, which was that the wealthy have the privilege of "shelter[ing] their money away" from the tax man.

If the poor move ever "make it there" they, too, will also benefit from the tax shelter that their newly acquired wealth provides, just like the non-stupid folk who are already there.

Jimmie's still in Adam Smith Land. Apparently, the last two hundred years of economic development haven't had any effect on economic theory. At least not his.

No, they won't. I had those aspirations when I was younger. And that was during the Clinton administration. And I had no problem succeeding. And I paid higher taxes than Obama is proposing now.

And let me tell you about the shock you will receive when you get to wealth. You'll be like: "Holy S***, I can buy what I want, when I want. And I can go where I want, when I want. This S***'s great!" Trust me, the taxes won't worry you. There is no punishment. And the idea that you or anyone would give up the good life just because you'd pay more taxes is just beyond me. I really don't get that. There's really nothing to fear in those higher tax rates. If you get really rich, you're not paying them, anyway.

Meanwhile, the people who have aspirations toward wealth will find quite the punishment waiting for them should they ever make it there. They'll also find the way far more difficult as more of their money is taken from them on the way up.

Nope, as fostert pointed out, people will make more money as long as, well, as long they continue to make more money. In the real world there is not, nor under Obamas plan will there be, any disincentive to earn less than, let's say, infinity. The more you earn, the more you earn – regardless of the tax bracket you're in.

I suggest you re-read the first paragraph in fosterts response to understand the simplicity of this.

You are correct on one thing, though – it is, indeed, simple economics.

That will mean millions of dollars that won't be flowing through the economy, which is bad for all of us.

Meanwhile, the people who have aspirations toward wealth will find quite the punishment waiting for them should they ever make it there. They'll also find the way far more difficult as more of their money is taken from them on the way up.

This isn't rocket science. This is simple economics.

You know, sometimes I think Jimmie gets better LSD than I can. But it's only a once a year thing for me. The everyday thing starts to make you delusional.